DoH warns vs ‘WILD’ diseases

The Department of Health (DoH) on Monday alerted the public to prepare against Water-borne Influenza, Leptospirosis and Dengue (WILD) diseases commonly acquired during the rainy season.

DoH spokesman Eric Tayag said water-borne diseases in the form of diarrhea can affect people through contaminated sources of drinking water.

“There is a possibility that drinking water sources may be contaminated by rainwater especially in those areas where there is poor sanitation,” Tayag explained.

To purify water for drinking, the DoH recommends the use of hyposol or chlorine tablets to wash out impurities.

Tayag said influenza is also one of the diseases that the public should be wary of during the rainy season as cough, cold fever and flu are usually being experienced by a number of people at this time.

The DoH as a preventive measure provides flu and pneumonia vaccines to senior citizens.

For leptospirosis, Tayag said, it is important to protect oneself from dirty floodwater contaminated by rat urine and which may enter open wounds.

As a precaution, the DoH recommends the use of boots if one needs to walk in dirty flood water.

To prevent dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, including zika and chikungunya, mosquito breeding breeding sites should be destroyed; and self-protection measures adopted such as wearing long-sleeved shirts and pajamas and using mosquito nets and mosquito-repellant lotions.